Novel, Novella or Short Story?

The size of a story is often dictated by the scope of the idea that spawned it. While some experienced writers can tell from the shape of the concept how long their story will be, it’s often a case of trial and error and years.

Choosing Your Perspective

All stories have a voice and a point-of-view — or POV.

It’s how you combine them that makes a story that resonates.

How to Self-Edit That Lousy First Draft

Welcome to Part 9 of my Virtual Balticon panel writeup. The painful panel description was as follows: Panelists will discuss they’re … More

There is No Finish Line: Momentum for Writers

Experienced writers who have been on the roller coaster for a while know the big secret: you never really “make it.” Just because you’ve sold one book doesn’t mean you’ll sell the next one, and just because you didn’t sell the last one doesn’t mean the next one won’t hit big.

How do you maintain the will to keep creating?

Making Painful Edits

Welcome to Part 7 of my Virtual Balticon panel writeup. It’s hard to cut out scenes or characters that you love, … More

Science Fiction Has Always Been Political

Here’s Part 6 of my Virtual Balticon panel notes. Throughout the history of science fiction and fantasy, creators have used the … More

Intro To Self-Publishing

So you have a story and you want to publish it yourself. Let’s talk about how to get started, how … More

Tips for Writing Combat: Where Do You Focus?

Here’s Part 4 of my VirtualBalticon panel notes. Even veterans and long-time practitioners can have problems writing fights that are … More

There’s No Target in Middle Earth: Economics in Fantasy

In your original fantasy setting, everything the characters own or interact with has to come from somewhere, from food and drink to durable goods. Let’s talk about how to build a believable material culture for your world.